Elizabeth's Last Years

Elizabeth's Last Years

Elizabeth's Last Years

Elizabeth's Last Years

Elizabeth's Last Years

Summary

Entering her final years, Elizabeth remained as popular
as ever. Indeed, after 1588, most of Europe regarded the once-mocked queen
with profound awe. She became associated with supernatural imagery,
especially that of Diana, the Virgin Huntress. However, while
old age brought her reverence, it also brought loneliness: Elizabeth
outlived all of her advisors and friends. Robert Devereaux (Earl
of Essex) and the stepson of the late Leicester attempted to win
the favor once bestowed on deceased ministers. Essex was clearly
one of the Queen's favorites; he was related to Leicester and a
minor war hero as well, having led battles against the Spanish
at Cadiz. His enemies included Burleigh's son Robert Cecil, as
well as Walter Raleigh.

In 1598, when an Irish earl rose up against an English
deputy, Elizabeth selected Essex to command the force that would
go to Ireland and discipline the rebellious earl. In Ireland,
Essex refused to follow the orders to attack immediately, instead
choosing to wait. Ultimately, his mission failed. On his return,
the disgraced Essex was not even allowed into the Queen's presence.
Yet the fall from favorite to outcast was too much to bear, and
he attempted to raise a rebellion. Quickly thwarted in his effort,
Essex was captured and then executed on February 25, 1601.

Although Elizabeth had always tolerated religious difference under
her reign, in her late years she became very fearful of a conspiracy
against her led by Jesuits (an order of Catholic priests). Thus,
outside of the law courts, Elizabeth initiated a private hunt for
Catholic conspirators, naming Richard Topcliffe as chief of the operation.
Topcliffe proved particularly cruel, and this period marked the
one period of Catholic persecution under Elizabeth. Eventually,
however, she decided this measure had been a mistake, and became
angry at the Privy Council, which, she became convinced, had tricked
her into initiating the Jesuit hunt.

Near the end of Elizabeth's life, England's economy started
to go downhill. The many years of prosperity had led to rapid
inflation, and Elizabeth, though always stingy and thrifty, nonetheless
started losing money as her royal funds ran low. She was forced
to sell some property, and Parliament had to appropriate new funds
in 1601. Yet through it all, Elizabeth continued to worry about
the welfare of her people, maintaining a profound sense of duty.
When several of the monopolies she had earlier granted began to
be abused, she responded by revoking them in the interest of the
people. Elizabeth continued to reign with the people of England
as her first consideration. Addressing her people, the elderly
Queen said that "Though God hath raised me high" she considered
it her greatest happiness and glory to have "reigned with your
loves."

The crucial question persisted, however, of who would
succeed Elizabeth. In March of 1603, Elizabeth contracted a bad
cold. Knowing she would not live long, the Queen signed a document
the day before she died making King James I of Scotland the rightful heir,
even though he was the son of her nemesis, Mary Queen of Scots:
Elizabeth would not sacrifice the well-being of the country for
the sake of her personal grudges. Although the Stuarts would rule
in such a way as to create instability for England, Elizabeth's action
ensured a peaceful succession process. Her duty completed, Elizabeth
died at Richmond Palace in London on March 24, 1603.

Commentary

After facing the Spanish Armada, Elizabeth's main advisors
passed away. In the 1890s, she was in her sixties. The result
was a changing of the guard: Elizabeth now had much younger and
less experienced advisors serving her. As she was old, some people
in he court thought she was becoming frail and senile, and tried
to take advantage of her. The best example of this was Essex, who
thought he could get away with anything around the Queen, such
as disobeying her orders and once even turning his back on her
in court (she promptly smacked him hard in the back of the head).
However, her actions proved that, although old, she had not lost
her wits. Essex, in fact, despite being a somewhat talented military
leader, ignored prudent warnings from Francis Bacon and completely
miscalculated just how shrewd the elderly Elizabeth still was.

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